Initialparking Reviews 

647
TrustScore 1 out of 5

1.1

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 118 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Many customers reported receiving unexpected fines, even after believing they had paid for parking, often due to confusing payment processes or issues with machines. People frequently encountered problems with payment systems, such as machines not accepting payments, credit card readers being inoperative, or difficulties with online payment platforms. Reviewers also expressed frustration with the high cost of fines, which often escalated rapidly, and the perceived lack of a fair appeal process. Some people were dissatisfied with the company's service, citing issues like denied receipts, incorrect registration number entries leading to fines, and a lack of grace periods for overstaying. Additionally, customers found the signage in various car park locations to be unclear, contributing to confusion about payment requirements and parking conditions.

What people talk about most

Payment

Reviewers highlight negative aspects of payment, with many experiencing issues such as machines being out of... See more

Price

Consumers find price to be a source of frustration, often reporting unexpected charges and disproportionate... See more

Location

Reviewers express strong dissatisfaction with various parking locations, with many stating they will avoid... See more

Claim

Customers consistently note negative experiences with claim processes, with many reporting that their appeals... See more

Service

People report negative experiences with service, with many expressing strong dissatisfaction. Customers... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

To our surprise Initial Parking made a new claim that Beacon near Lewes was a fee-paying car park. One of us paid £2 by card and has the bank statement showing that IP had received it. They denied... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

St Mary’s Church car park - Betsw y coed. This company are a disgrace. The ticket machine doesn't accept your full reg number - but does take payment. A week later you receive a £60 fine for not key... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DISGRACEFUL SCAM - As many others I was fined £100 for parking in St Mary's Church Car Park in Betws-y-Coed Wales. Had poor GPS signal and only one machine was working. They combine your consideration... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

In July used slate quay car park. App didn't work so used coins to pay. Displayed ticket. Several days later issued with £100 PCN. Appealed and requested Initial parking check their CCTV to show ticke... See more


1.1

Bad

TrustScore 1 out of 5

647 reviews

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1.1

All reviews

(647)

99 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Incredibly poor

Very poor service, as I could not speak to anyone about a fine . I waited outside the car park at Lamorna Cove Beach car park in April. I did not go in the car park. I appealed the fine and it was rejected. All I can think is as I turned around the cameras picked up my number plate. I was careful to not park on what I thought was the car park land. A very poor company that charges people who actually were not in their car park but were waiting on the road. I would recommend that you do not use or go near these car parks.

29 April 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic Customer Service and Empathy

We parked at the Lands End car park in early June as part of a month long break. We were really disappointed to receive a parking fine when we got home and to add insult to injury we had no chance to pay before the increase from £60 to £100.
I contacted Initial and explained why we hadn't paid. I have to say that they were really responsive. Within 24 hours they responded and cancelled the fine. I cannot say how relieved and delighted we were. Thankyou Intial.

26 June 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Parked at Fistral Beach

Parked at Fistral Beach, couldn't pay at machine with money and no internet service. Tried calling 2 times but got cut off each time. Found another machine. We were late for the family meal due to trying to park. Paid for 3 hours and left before the time was up. Letter in the post from Initial Parking £60 for the time it took to get the ticket which you cant pay for anyway. Emailed to contest it, didn't receive an email back from them although they said could have gone to Spam email even though I had an email of confirmation about my email from them. Bill went up to £170. I have a small family with and autistic child and we struggled to pay for the Easter holiday. It's their setup which caused the delay in getting a ticket. I felt no other option other to pay because the price would have gone up to 280, which we can't afford and potential court action. This has caused a lot of stress and we have to pull back from some much needed activities and possibly food costs due to the charge.

22 April 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disgusting predatory company

Disgusting, predatory and dishonest company. Deliberately make it difficult to pay and show absolutely no flexibility, nor a shred of common sense or human decency. Do something useful with your lives instead of making the world a worse place. Any employee of this company should reconsider their life choices, absolute leeches.

21 June 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

SLATE QUAY CAERNAFON.

SLATE QUAY CAERNAFON.
Signage indicates Blue Badge is tariff free.
ANPR does not clock the badge so £100 fine.
This is despicable. Preying on the old and vulnerable.

5 June 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Paid correctly but used the wrong vehicle reg

As we parked using a parking app with multiple vehicles registered on there we mistakenly used the wrong car reg. The parking fee was paid correctly for the time used. Made an appeal but not upheld. Insisted on a £20 reduced fee or suffer the original fee of £60 then £100 if not paid within the time.
Absolute charletons.......genuine mistake and the parking was paid for so they benefit from an admin mistake and not non payment of parking!!!!! It shouldnt be allowed.

1 June 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Marazion Car Park, Cornwall

Parked at Marazion Car Park in Cornwall. The signs say maximum stay 3 hours. We paid for £4 for 3 hours but weren’t ready to leave so paid for another £4 and stayed another 1hr, 13mins and 38 secs. We thought we’d done the right thing but we’re issued a £100 for exceeding the maximum stay. Appealed and sent evidence of having paid twice but the appeal was declined. We received no notification of the fact that it had been declined and the next thing we got was a DRP letter stating that we now owe £170. It’s exorbitant! Our whole week’s holiday was only £220 and now 4 hours parking will be almost as much! And there is no way to speak to an actual human being. Avoid these car parks at all costs unless you’re prepared to be robbed. At least D*ck Turpin wore a mask when he robbed people!

18 June 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

BE VERY SURE YOU CHECK ALL DETAILS ON THE SCREEN BEFORE YOU PRESS ENTER TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED

We parked at Lands End at a cost of £8.00 (for the day). We only stayed for 1 hour 13 minutes (our choice) and then got a £60 fine for not paying. We appealed and sent off a photocopy of the parking ticket and the bank statement to prove we had paid. The appeal stated that the registration was not entered accurately. The ticket DID show an incomplete registration number, although it was not obvious that the 2 letters that registered were actually part of the registration number. In fact it just showed MM. Even if it had been incorrectly entered I cannot believe it didn't register 3 numbers and 2 more letters. And surely if this was all it registered the software should have thrown up an error message on the screen. We actually said, when we looked at the parking ticket on appeal, that there was no registration number on it. We still ended up with a reduced £20 fine as per their "terms and conditions" which, of course, everyone reads when they pay for a parking ticket!!!!. Call me cynical, but this seems like a pretty good scam for making money. It looks more like a faulty (deliberate or not) keypad. Be very sure that you check everything on the screen before you press OK. Do not rely on your ticket or bank statement to prove you have paid. Initial Parking must be making a lot of money out of legitimate parking tickets. We actually paid more than £70 for parking in Council run carparks whilst we were there with no problem at all.

8 June 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Agree with all other reviews on here…

Agree with all other reviews on here mentioning the lack of a 10 minute grace period or consideration for customers who have a genuine issue returning to their cars -exactly- on time. I appealed my fine on these grounds having fortunately kept my paper ticket which showed I left 10 minutes late, not 17 as they had stated. I sent this proof to Initial Parking. In the response to my rejected appeal, they still insisted I was 17 minutes late.

Disgraceful company lacking in any compassion and only interested in taking your money.

29 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Praa Sands

Praa Sands. Tried to pay for parking, got nowhere with poor instructions, eventually my daughter, very good at IT, network manager, having paid for her parking successfully, attempted to pay for mine. No tickets are issued, might have to pay someone for that, we thought it was paid, Got the letter 11 days later £60 fine. Probably machine was f*****d, no way of knowing you haven't actually paid, no tickets, no cash facility. What's more, poxy site does not work

29 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Paid my £1 to park for a hour !

Paid my £1 to park for a hour !
Apparently I stayed for 1 hour and 2 minutes and 5 seconds!
£60 fine !
Unfortunately thrown my ticket away,so can’t prove I was dealt with unfairly!
Will avoid them or pay by credit card which will give a time etc
These companies shouldn’t be allowed to trade ,they just hope you dispose of old tickets ,before sending you a bill !!

27 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

This is in addition to my original review about this despicable parking company, I've had to pay what I perceive is an extortionate fine. I've gone on my works email to to see the local courts results and see that an offender has been fined the same amount £60 for not complying with his sentence. That proves just how disproportionate these fines are, they are making a killing for nothing!

17 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

IPL 1090547. If I could give no stars I would, this company is a big fat leech preying on locals and tourists alike. I parked on the Slate Quay opposite Caernarfon Castle at night to go for a meal with family. The hut was closed and we didn’t notice the camera anpr on the board together with tiny small print, we thought it was free at that time!! How foolish! We then received two fines for £60 each if paid within 14 days. So that killed the birthday vibe. This fee does not fit the crime, it’s a total disgrace and Caernarfon Harbour Trust should find a new partner because from the reviews on here there’s no point appealing because they dismiss genuine claims!! I don’t mind paying a reasonable fine but this is disgusting in these times, we certainly won’t be returning and urge others to avoid this car park.

17 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

We parked @ Gulls Rock Inn

We parked @ Gulls Rock Inn, Cornwall, for a cup of coffee, after displaying our Blue Badge, we then received a £100 fine, which has been appealed/declined by Initialparking, this company is a disgrace and people working for it should be ashamed.
It makes you want to disown Cornwall visits.
Be warned.

15 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Avoid Initial Parking Sites

This company is to be avoided at all costs. I received a parking charge even though I left the car park in Scarborough with 25 minutes to spare. They stated that I had evaded the fee. I wrote and explained my position and they immediately suggested the fine would now be £20 if paid within 14 days. Shocking way to treat customers.

14 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Dreadful company



If I could give 0 stars I would. Absolute disgrace of a company.
Parked at Hollywell Bay in Cornwall during the Easter break.
The machine didn't let me put in my reg plate properly and at £2.50 an hour for parking, I didn't want to try again and risk loosing another £2.50.
Anyway, the machine let me type in OO which I have in my reg number, and I paid the £2.50 on my card.
Thought nothing else of it.
Got home from holiday, and a few days later have a parking charge come through, saying I haven't paid. Luckily kept the ticket, and found the transaction on my bank statement. Sent them as proof to the company and with the explanation that I couldn't get the machine to accept my whole reg plate but obviously did try as you can see on the ticket OO.
Had an email back to say that my appeal has been rejected and that I did not pay. Clearly these people haven't looked at the proof I sent and just want their fine money regardless.
I'll be taking this further, why should I pay the fine when I paid for the parking in the first place.
Avoid initial parking car parks at all costs. Nothing but scam artists.

22 April 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible scam company

Do not park in their car parks. From what I have heard and experienced they will do anything to slap you with a fine. They say they have disabled spots but they don’t. No respect for seniors or people with disabilities. Their signage is misleading and their payment machines don’t work - all the better for finding a way to send you a huge fine. Their online appeal software doesn’t work.

18 April 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I parked in St Mary's car park Betws y…


I parked in St Mary's car park Betws y coed and paid for 1 hour because I had to be in Bodnant restaurant by 3.30. Unfortuately I was late getting back to my car only to get a fine a few days later for £60 and told I should have paid another £1.50 for the 19 minutes extra I had stayed. I did not realise at the time that I was late. The 3 of us in the car that day are 84 year old pensioners and on limited income. One of us had bowel cancer and a stoma and needed to go to the toilet before getting back, she was also tired and had to rest a while on the way back, these factors contributed to us being late.
Initial are a nasty greedy company. I will not be using the church car par again, I should add this is the only time I have used it. Never agin.

2 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Fined while Volunteering at Local Soup Kitchen

Was issued a parking charge by Initial Parking for overstaying while volunteering at my local soup kitchen. Despite appealing and raising complaints, they have shown no consideration for my circumstances and have enforced the £60 fine. Absolutely heartless and completely lacking in compassion.

29 April 2025
Unprompted review

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